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Funny, I had the same thought and ended up with a tunnel of multiple catflaps and then started thinking how they would be configured so as to not to impede access by less important non feline occupants of the house

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I'm doing this for free, please be nice to me "Very few batteries die a natural death ... most are murdered"

We have a Staywell magnetic cat flat in the kitchen door and the flap is so closely engineered that you can only insert one paper sheet in the gap between flat and frame so little chance of a draft from this source. Looking at the area of the flap, I calculate the heat loss for a 22 degree temperature difference as between 2 and 4 watts per hour depending your guess at the U value.

Not, perhaps the most urgent problem in home insulation!

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Patrick

No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford

With the wind howling from the north the flap would blow open, locking it would upset pussy as he had to use the bell. The Kitty Kollar magnetic lock worked well but would still not shut with wind sometimes until I stuck some lead on the bottom, pussy then had front row shoulders.

Look at a Pet Porte flap - there are some examples on youtube. Around £100 but it only opens when your cat approaches assuming your cat has an microchip. It has a draught proof seal around the door edge and I saw one over last winter and it wasn't noticeably draughty.

Hi This is my first post here - found you doing the Google thing for draught-proof cat flap, like Peter. There does seem to be a lot of interest in this problem since it has over 2000 views. I've not yet found a solution, living up a windy wet mountain with 2 cats who will not keep collars on. Altough they love me to open the person-sized doors for them I do like to have some time off and do also go out to work, to get cat food etc etc. I have the Staywell like Quakered but find even though fairly finely engineered, a heck of a draught can get through in bad weather and it is liable to blow open. It has been improved by adding an extra strong magnet which I phoned the company for and they sent . I also stuck some DIY adhesive draught strip around some of the edges. Still not brilliant - so I'm hoping some innovative person will design a better product.

Ivan, the cat thing hasn't really been a problem since living in caravans - at night I have one caravan with the dog and they have the other. They have a cat flap and do what they like and this usually involves capturing and torturing non-feline residents. I'm preparing for another winter like the last two so they will be out all day ie in their own caravan and if they deign to come when called they will be in here at night. As for the house, the current thinking is to have a porch outside the insulation envelope which has a catflap in the door. They can at least get into a dry, well insulated area in the middle of the night if they want to (and with a triple glazed door I won't be able to hear their displeasure at not getting any further)

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I'm doing this for free, please be nice to me "Very few batteries die a natural death ... most are murdered"

There are heated cat "pods" boxes for outdoor buildings that could be improved for outdoors..I'm of the type that you get your cat in the evening to allow wildlife to feed (ditto early morning) a cat shouldn't be out all night ..I'd want it's warmth & company as well as knowing it wasn't catfighting & waking folk! so would stick this on a timer, that'll learn em!